ramblings of an entrepreneurial madman

So you think you have job security?

Well me and my business partner spoke this morning and we are going to wait to contact the guy we had a meeting with. Initially we were going to contact him today, but we are going to wait until tomorrow. Basically we want him to think we are meeting with other companies and assessing other offers. We don’t want to give him the impression that we are desperate. We also are not 100% sure if he is going to go for the 15% commission split so that’s still somewhat up in the air. I think he is going to go for it but you never know; knock on wood. My business partner had to run some errands this morning but said he was going to call me later, so we need to figure out how we want to handle the situation if the 15% offer isn’t on the table when we talk to the guy. That pretty much sums up what’s going on with the new business venture for the time being.

I did want to talk about job security for a moment. I always felt it was kind of funny how society is basically brainwashed into thinking/believing that if you get a job with a good salary, benefits, and health insurance you have excellent job security. Unfortunately that’s the furthest thing from the truth. You can get laid off or fired for practically any reason at any given time. The company you are working for could go out of business or simply decide to close their doors on any given day; putting you out of a job. That security you thought you had could disappear instantly and you’ll have absolutely no idea what the fuck you are going to do.

Why am I bringing this up?

One of my good friends got fired yesterday and he was working for my previous employer. We were the first 2 sales guys they brought on and when I got promoted to sales manager, he was a sales guy underneath me. When I left to start my company he stayed and continued to work there. He always hit his numbers production wise and has been with this company for over 2 years. Well yesterday they fuckin shit-canned his ass and the reason they gave was complete bullshit. Basically they wanted him gone for whatever reason so they found a way to fire him.

So yesterday, even though I’m on a tight budget and REALLY shouldn’t be spending the money, I met the kid out for a couple of beers because I knew he was pretty upset about things. I only spent about $30 so I didn’t go overboard buying drinks, which was good. He was so pissed that they just fucked him over like that and I spent some time talking to him about his options and what he could do. Bottom line is the kid can sell, and I know he won’t have a problem getting another job relatively quickly. In fact, by the end of the night he already had a couple of offers from other companies once word got out that he was let go.

The point I’m trying to make is the only way you can have real job security is when you own a business. Working for someone else creates the illusion of security and at the end of the day you really don’t have it. This is one of the main reasons why I’ve always opted to work for myself or have my own company. I hate the thought of working for someone else because I don’t want to be at my employer’s “mercy.” Fuck that, it’s my life and I control my own fate.

As I was typing this I got word from my current business partner in the office that they are wrapping things up this month so they want me out of the office by the end of August. I was hoping I’d get to stay another month or two, but it’s not looking like it, so it’s even more the reason to get cranking with this new idea. The new laws don’t take effect until the end of September, but they are not accepting contracts after the 27th of this month. It’s kind of a bummer because it would have been nice to stay in the office for another month but I guess it really doesn’t matter anymore. It’s not like I’m doing anything here anyways; other than working on my new plan.